Concrete spreader



'7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 18, 1945 LE 5 3m hm o I 8 G 3 mm mw mm MS a 43 INVENTOILN WH LE W/S ATTORNEY 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 462/4? A r rail/F.

w. H. LEWIS CONCRETE SPREADER Jan. 22, 1952 Filed June 18, 1945 Jan. 22, 1952 Filed June 18, 1945 W. H. LEWIS CONCRETE SPREADER 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. fl. 6. L/EW/j J 1 w. H. LEWIS 2, 3,

CONCRETE SPREADER Filed June 18, 1 945 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 /NVENTOR W. H. LEW/5 BY ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1952 w. H. LEWIS 2,583,

' CONCRETE SPREADER Filed June 18, 1945 I '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. W H. L E W/S ATTORNEY w. H. LEWlS 2,583,108

Jan. 22, 1952 CONCRETE SPREADER 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 18, 1945 16 l n a u I I ll r INVENTOR MH 1, Ew/s 1952 w. H. uzwxs 2,583,108

' CONCRETE SPREADER Filed June 18, 1945 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 .INVENTOR ll/bl LEW/s ATTORNEY aiffim Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES Q'FFICE.

GONCRETE SPREADER William Hurs Lewis, .A enai Qalit, oss n to.

S and r S ee C on. h sei solo Qa1i acorporation of California. Application June 18, 1945', Serial No. 600,170 a 5 Qleii s- .94.?49

My present invention relates to amachine for spreading concrete and the like.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a machine of this class to facilitate. the distribution of concrete and the like. uni-.-. formly over a designated area, and a machine of this class which is particularly adapted to. follow dump trucks, or other conveying means, supply, ing concrete and the like, for uniformly spreada ing the same over the designated area over which the machine is intended to travel.

An important object also of this invention is to provide a machine of this class having conveying means for distributing concrete or the like forwardly or backwardly and also transversely, for filling in low spots in the concrete, or other surface to be made, and also for removing'excessive amounts of material from other portions of the surface.

Another important object of this invention is to provide distributing means for concrete and the like which may be readily raised or lowered, for varying the amount of material to be distributed, and also to facilitate the conveyance of the machine from place to place.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a distributing means of this class in combination with a strike-off plate which determines the height of the surface of the material to' be laid.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide a novelly positioned distributing plate in combination with a conveyor screw whereby coarse material may be directed longitudinally with respect to the direction of movement of the machine, or with respect to the direction of the road surface to be laid, and whereby the finer materials may be spread evenly in a lateral direction.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a novel and eflicient means for moving the conveying means and distributing plate as 'a unit laterally with respect to the direction of movement of the machine.

A novel feature of this invention is the provision of vertically adjustable plates at the sides and between the supporting wheels for confining the road or surface making material between the lateral extremities of the machine.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a machine, for spreading concrete and the like, having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth inthe appended claims, reference ein hadtothe accompanyingdrawings, and to the characters of. reference. thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig.1 is a planview of the main frame. and main operating elements of my concrete spreader in one. form, certain portions being broken away or mitted...to. facilitate the illustration;

Fig-2 is. a front elevational View th reo aken atv 2:2 ofliig. 1;.

Fig. 3, is a rear elevationalview thereof, taken at 3718 of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a sideelevational view thereof, taken at .4-..-i.4 .of. Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is afragmentary perspective, view of the concrete spreadingunit of the machine. show; ing the frame in. phantom;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view,.takenpthrou h 6:16. of Fig. 1, showing the mechanism for movin the co c ete spreadin unit transversely;

Fig. 7 is a fra mentary planview thereof, taken atflrrl of Fig. 6;

Fi 8 isa diagramma view o th mocha-- nism for. propelli th spr ader nd. o pemt: ing. the spreading mechanism.

Fig, ,9. is. an enlar ed sect onal. e evat on t en.

through 979. of. Fig. 1 show n v the st i eff plate limit neans;

Fig. 10,. is. an, enlarge f a ment ry sectional elevation. taken thro gh 1.0.711 o Fie-v a .show:

inathemountingv of the side pl a d her lation tothe. strike-mi plate; and,

Fig. 11 isarra mentary diagrammatic view.

of i a sl htly modifi d. fo m of construction o my concrete spr ader. in which the conveyor screws are. reversed, in pitch.

My concrete spreader has a mainframe l which issuppqrted at the opposite sides, of its rearend on pairs .of wheels? and at the opposite sides of.

The rear wheels 2- on side: or road form boards 4, upon which'th'ewheels are adapted to "ride.

On' andabove the rear portion of the frame is mounted a power plant in the form of an internal combustion engine or motor for propelling the concrete spreader on'the form "boards 41 *ll'ie propelling mechanism for operating the tractorwhe els 2 by the engine or motoifl'i s d e. e ca y. ll istr diofia8- "es' h p ofi s 1191 0 1! is'wml isd hfoq h a gear shift transmission l3 to a drive sprocket M. This sprocket drives a sprocket I8 through a chain l5. On the shaft of the sprocket l6 is a sprocket H which drives, through a chain I8, a sprocket l9. On the shaft of the latter sprocket are mounted sprockets which are connected, by chains 2|, to sprockets 22. On each of the shafts 23 of the latter sprockets are other sprockets 23 and 23 which are connected by chains 24 to sprockets 25 on the axles 2 of the rear wheels 2. In this manner, the speed of the engine is considerably reduced when applied to the rear wheels.

Coaxial with the sprocket l9 are arranged clutches 26 and 21 for connecting the power from the engine H to the sprockets 28 whereby the tractor wheels 2 at the opposite sides of the machine may be connected and controlled. The clutches 26 and 21 are controlled by a unitary clutch lever 28.

' Intermediate the gear speed transmission l3 and the rear wheels may be provided another speed change transmission 29, as shown.

The transmissions l3 and 29, as shown, are provided with gear shift levers l3 and 29 respectively.

On the forward portion of the frame I is mounted the spreading unit, shown best in Fig. 5. The forward portion of the frame 'I is provided with a vertical opening in which the spreading unit is adapted freely to move and operate. The spreading unit is carried on a separate rectangular frame 3| which is slidably mounted at its four corners on vertical guide rods 32 which extend above the side rails l of the main frame I. Such mounting of the frame 3| permits vertical movement thereof on and with respect to the main frame I.

On the frame 3| is mounted another movable frame 33. This frame 33 is provided at its forward and rear ends with aprons 33 which hang downwardly from the frame 3| beyond and over the forward and rear sides thereof. The frame 3| has transverse rails 3 l and 3| at its forward and rear sides forming tracks upon which the frame 33 is adapted to ride transversely of the machine. The frame of carriage 33 has supporting rollers 34, which support the carriage 33 on the rails, and other rollers 35 which engage or ride along the lower edges of the rails, thus retaining the carriage 33 in position. The carriage 33 also has rollers 38 at the forward and rear ends of the lateral sides thereof which ride upon the forward and rear sides of the rails 3| and 3|".

The depending aprons 33 of the carriage 33 are bifurcated, forming diverging arms which rotatably support, at the lower and lateral ends thereof, separate large conveyor screws 31 and 38. The forward ends of the shafts 3! and 38, which carry the respective screws 31 and 38, are mounted on the laterally positioned arms of the forward depending apron 33 On the front ends of these shafts are mounted, respectively, sprockets 39 and 40, which are connected by chains 4| and 42, respectively, to sprockets 43 and 44. The shafts of the latter sprockets have sprockets 45 which are connected by a. chain 46, thus driving the two screws 3! and 38 in unison and in the same direction.

The drive shaft 41 of one of the sprockets 45 is connected through another sprocket 48, chain 49, and sprocket 58 to another power plant, in the form of an internal combustion engine 5|. This engine 5| is carried on the upper connecting portion or bridge 33 of the carriage 33. Thus, the mechanism and various movements of the spreader unit are powered separately from the engine propelling the machine.

The sprockets 45 and 48 may be connected through a speed change transmission 52 through which the speed and direction of the conveyor screws 31 and 38 may be controlled.

The carriage 33, which supports the conveyor screws 31 and 38, is shown as being capable of being moved transversely by a hydraulic mechanism shown best in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. On the side members 3 of the rectangular frame 3| are mounted hydraulic cylinders 6| having inwardly directed reciprocating plungers 6i carrying a unitary cross-head 6 on which is mounted a pair of sheaves 62 and 63. Around the sheaves 62 and 63 extend cables 64 and 65, respectively. One end of each cable is secured to a side rail 3 of the frame 3|, and the other end of each cable is secured to the carriage 33, and respectively, to the lateral edge portion of the connecting platform or bridge 33 thereof, and specifically at the side of such platform nearest the side rail 3| of the frame 3| to which the other end of the respective cable is connected. That is, the ends of the cable 84 are secured to the adjacent sides of the frame 3| and the carriage 33 while the ends of the cable 65 are connected to the opposite adjacent sides of the frame 3| and the carriage 33. Such arrangement provides twice the movement of the carriage 33 for the movement of each plunger 8 of an hydraulic cylinder.

On the platform I", at the rear portion of the machine on which the engine II is mounted, is also mounted a control box having a plurality of levers or buttons H for controlling various movements of certain elements of the machine. One of these buttons may be operated to control the hydraulic cylinders 6| through flexible fluid conductors l2 and 13, shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The raising and lowering of the frame 3| is also controlled by one of the buttons on the control box 1|. From the control box the flow of hydraulic fluid is controlled to or from hydraulic cylinders 8|, one positioned at the opposite sides of the machine. The plungers 8| of these hydraulic cylinders are connected to the ends of arms 82 mounted at the ends of a rock shaft 83 which is positioned in front of the platform I and mounted at its ends on the opposite side rails of the main frame. Near the opposite ends of the rock shaft 83 are provided bellcranks 84. One

arm 84 of each of these bellcranks is connected by a link 85 to the rear rail 3| of the frame 3|. The other or lower arms 84 of the bellcranks 84 are connected by links 88 to one arm of other bellcranks 81. The other arms of the latter bellcranks are connected by links 88 to the opposite ends of the forward rail 3| of the frame 3|. In this manner, operation of the hydraulic cylinders 8| raises or lowers the frame 3| simultaneously at all corners thereof. Thus, the elevation of the conveyor screws 31 and 38 may be readily controlled from the control box I Immediately behind the spreader unit, comprising the conveyor screws 3'! and 38, is a strike-off plate 9| which is provided at its rear side with.

vertical brackets 92 of T-shaped cross-section. These brackets are reciprocally mounted in a vertical direction in guides 93 which are supported at the front side of the transverse connecting portion i of the main frame. The raising and lowering of the strike-01f plate is also controlled by. one of the buttons I l of the control box I. From this box the flow of hydraulic fluid is controlled to the hydraulic cylinder 94 having a plunger 94 pivotally connected to an arm Qfiextending from a rocking -memlier"9e.'---'I'hisrocking member is in theform of a tube rotatably mountedabout the rock-shaft 83. The tubularrockingmember 93 has: laterally extending arms 9? which are connected to the upper portion of; the strike-off plate in for raising and lowering; the same by meansf the hydraulic cylinders'94.

On the forward wall I of, the main frame is providedastopstl which may be vertically adjusted by means of a screw 98- which is mounted on the-cross portion I of the main frame and is readily accessible from the operating platform I thereon. The tubular rocking member 95 has a laterally extending arm I9!) which is adapted to rest upon the stop 98 for positively limiting the low position of the strike-off plate. In this manner the low position of the strike-off plate may be changed by the operation of the adjusting screw 99. The screw is raised or lowered by a nut 951 positioned at the upper end of a vertical tubu lar screw guide IEII supported on the upper crossbeam I of the frame I. The nut 99 has a lever or arm 99 for operating the same. This structure is shown best in Fig. 9.

In operation, the machine is moved forwardly at a slow rate of speed, and the conveyor screws are rotated in either direction and at the desired speed and also moved transversely with respect to the machine, as described above. This permits transfer of concrete, or other similar surfacing material, forwardly or backwardly, or laterally. The conveyor screws tend to convey all coarser aggregates of the surfacing material forwardly, but may not provide effective means for laterally distributing the concrete, or other surfacing material. I have therefore provided a vertical distributing plate I I I which, in this instance, is positioned intermediate the conveyor screws 3! and 38 and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine, and to the rotating axes of the conveyor screws. This distributing plate III is supported by and depends from the carriage 33. The lower edge of the distributing plate is preferably positioned a slight distance below the lowermost positions of the conveyor screws. This distance in most instances is approximately onehalf inch. Since this plate is mounted on the carriage 33, it is movable laterally with the conveyor screws.

In order to confine the concrete, or other surfacing material, between the lateral portions of the machine, and inwardly from the forward wheels 3, I have provided side guards IZI which have, on their inner sides, supporting brackets I2l of T-shaped cross-section, the upper portions of which are reciprocally mounted in guides I22 supported on and depending from the side walls I b of the main frame I. The lower edges of the side guards I2I are provided with runners I2I which are adapted to ride upon the side or road form boards 4 when such side guards are in normal or operative positions. These side guards may be raised by hydraulic means which also may be controlled by a button on the control box.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a hydraulic cylinder I23 is mounted at the rear portion of the frame I and the plunger I23 thereof is connected to an arm I 24 mounted on a rock shaft I25 at the rear end of the main frame. At the ends of the rock shaft are provided other arms I26 which are connected by rods I27 to one arm of bellcranks I23 mounted on the sides 5' of the main frame I. The other arms of these bell- 6E." cranks "may .tbe connected. with. the. side guard plates I2I' bysuitable links. I29. r In thestructure described above, the conveyor screws 31 .and 38 are the same,.that is, of the.

same hand. The conveyor screws I3I and I32 in modifiedstructure shown in Fig. 11, are of opposite. hand, that. is, one is right hand, and the.

other. is left hand. In this instance, the drive shaft. I33. of the conveyor operating motor connected to a. countershaft I34 by gears I35 and I36. The shafts are provided with sprockets I31 and I38, respectively, The sprocket I3! is connected bya. chain I39 to a sprocket- I40 mounted on a shaft I3I of the screw; I3 I. Thepdrive sprocket I38 is connected by a chain MI to the sprocket I42 mounted on the shaft I32 of the screw I32. Thus the two screws I3I and I32 are rotated in opposite directions for simultaneously feeding the concrete forwardly or backwardly. I have found that this method of conveyance is more satisfactory with certain materials.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, of my spreader for concrete, or the like, I do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a road machine supported on wheels, a transverse trackway supported by said machine, a carriage supported on said trackway for transverse movement, a screw carried by said carriage and disposed with its axis transverse to the trackway and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine, means for rotating said screw, and means for moving said carriage transversely along said trackway.

2. In a road machine supported on wheels, a transverse trackway supported by said machine, a carriage movable along said trackway, a screw carried by and rotatable on said carriage, said screw being disposed with its axis transverse to the trackway and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine, meansfor rotating said screw, and means for moving said carriage transversely along said trackway.

3. In a road machine supported on wheels, a transverse trackway supported by said machine, a carriage movable along said trackway, a plurality of screws rotatably mounted on said carriage with their axes extending transverse to the trackway and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine, means for rotating said screws, and means for moving said carriage transversely along said trackway.

4. In a machine of the class described, a main frame having a longitudinal axis extending in the direction of travel of the machine, a carriage carried by and movable transversely of the main frame, a pair of screws carried by and rotatably mounted on said carriage in laterally-spaced relationship and with their axes extending parallel to said longitudinal axis, rotating means for selectively rotating the screws in either direction, and moving means for moving said carriage and the screws carried thereby transversely of said longitudinal axis.

5. In a machine of the class described, a main frame having a longitudinal axis extending in the direction of travel of the machine, a carriage carried by and movable transversely of the main frame, a pair of screws carried by and rotatably mounted on said carriage in laterally-spaced relationship and with their axes extending parallel to said longitudinal axis, rotating means for selectivelygfotating the screws in either direction. moving means for moving said carriage and the screws carried thereby transversely of said longitudinal axis, and a substantially vertical distributing plate positioned between and substantially parallel to said screws with its lower edge extending below' the lower portions of said screws.

WILLIAM HURST LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Fitzgerald Sept. 4, 1923 Heltzel Oct. 23, 1934 Mandt June 25, 1935 Johnson May 19, 1936 Pullar et al Nov. 3, 1936 Barber Dec. 6, 1938 Bell Sept, 7, 1943 Harrington Apr. 17, 1945 Jackson Mar. 12, 1946 

